Egyptian President El-Sisi Receives Historic State Welcome At Istana Negara

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was accorded an official state welcoming ceremony at Istana Negara on Saturday, marking his first state visit to Malaysia since assuming office in June 2014.

His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, graciously received President El-Sisi at 10:08 AM at the palace parade square following an official invitation.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, and Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani were also present to welcome the Egyptian delegation.

Ceremonial Honors and Audience with the King

The historic reception featured full military honors and royal protocol:

• Military Honors & Gun Salute: The arrival ceremony opened with the national anthems of Egypt and Malaysia performed by the Royal Ranger Regiment band, accompanied by a 21-gun salute fired by the 41st Battery of the Royal Artillery Regiment.
• Guard of Honour Inspection: President El-Sisi inspected an initial honor guard of 28 personnel from the First Battalion of the Royal Ranger Regiment, followed by a full tri-services guard of honor comprising five officers and 89 personnel from the Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, and Royal Malaysian Air Force.
• Royal Audience & State Banquet: Sultan Ibrahim granted an audience to El-Sisi and his delegation at Dewan Seri Maharaja, where royal tokens of appreciation were presented, before hosting a state banquet at the Grand Banquet Hall.
• First Presidential Visit in 29 Years: El-Sisi’s trip marks the first state visit by an Egyptian president to Malaysia in nearly three decades, following the late President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak’s visit for the G-15 Summit in Kuala Lumpur in November 1997.

Bilateral Bilateral Agenda and Economic Ties

President El-Sisi will engage in high-level bilateral and diplomatic talks during his stay:

• Bilateral Talks & MoUs: El-Sisi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to review trade and diplomatic progress, exchange views on international developments, and witness the signing and exchange of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).
• Official Hi-Tea: Following the MoU ceremony, Anwar will host an official hi-tea in honor of the Egyptian delegation at the Seri Perdana Complex.
• Trade Growth Metrics: Egypt was Malaysia’s seventh-largest African trading partner in 2025 with total trade reaching RM3.08 billion (US$0.72 billion). From January to August 2026, bilateral trade surged 74.7 per cent year-on-year to hit RM3.49 billion (US$870 million).

Diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Egypt have remained continuous and strong since being formally established in 1959.

–NMT